


The Most Challenging Hunt

by Lailuva



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Baby Yoda is a little shit, Din needs all the help he can get, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Gen, i have spoken, parenting hijinks, post Season 1 finale, post episode 8, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:54:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22073608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lailuva/pseuds/Lailuva
Summary: “I still don’t see why you need me,” Cara told him.  “This isn’t my usual gig.  And it seems simple enough for one person.”“I can’t do this job alone,” said Din.  “And I trust you to help me.”
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Cara Dune & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)
Comments: 62
Kudos: 405





	The Most Challenging Hunt

Cara sipped thoughtfully at her drink while staring at her drinking companion - well, her theoretical drinking companion. Din hadn’t removed his helmet, and he’d politely declined the offer of a straw from the bartender. Now he was staring at her with that maddeningly persistent look his helmet gave. Or making faces at her behind it.

“I still don’t see why you need me,” she told him. “This isn’t my usual gig. And it seems simple enough for one person.”

“I can’t do this job alone, Cara,” said Din. “And I trust you to help me.”

“You mean you know I’m sturdy enough to be bait.”

“No, I’m the bait,” said Din. “I have a plan, but it needs both of us.”

She sighed and took another drink. “Oh, fine. I’ll do it.”

-

The  _ Razor Crest _ was eerily silent. Every time Cara had been on board, there’d been plenty of noise from the engines or the people or even blurrgs. Of course, every other time she’d been on board, she hadn’t had to wedge herself into a hidden corner of the ship.

She wiggled her fingers, unused to the lack of gloves. She wore them all the time and it was weird to feel their absence. But she refused to let it be a distraction. Her quarry was hiding somewhere nearby, and she needed to focus so she would be ready as soon as Din flushed him out.

As if on cue, the  _ Razor Crest’s _ hatch opened and Din himself came striding in. He’d already put aside his gloves and gauntlets, and the sleeves of his bodysuit were rolled up to his elbows. He squeezed the hand further away from Cara, and while she couldn’t see what was in it, it made a loud squeaking noise.

Something else squeaked in response. Din cocked his head towards the sound, then lifted his hand, revealing a bright green frog made of rubber. He squeezed it and it squeaked again.

There was a happy giggle, so close Cara almost jumped. She held her breath as the kid popped out from behind a nearby crate and toddled right towards Din, arms already outstretched towards the toy.

“You like that, huh?” asked Din, making the toy squeak again. The child answered with an affirmative coo, still waddling forward and reaching for the frog. Din squeaked it again and waited for the child to get right in front of him before handing it over.

Cara waited, hardly daring to breathe as she waited for her moment. Din started gently easing the kid out of his mud-stained coat as it kept squeaking the frog and giggling. The kid stuck the frog in his mouth, chewing on it experimentally while Din slipped off the Mandalorian necklace and started work on the onesie underneath the coat.

That was when the kid figured out something was going on and pulled away with a firm  _ “naah!” _ sound.

“Hey,” said Din firmly. “Come here. You stink and you’re still muddy.”

_ “Naah,” _ repeated the child, dropping his new frog toy and scooting away further.

“Yes,” said Din. “Come here.”

Din reached for the onesie’s clasp again. The child raised his hand, and Din lifted straight into the air.

Cara’s eyebrows felt like they’d shot all the way up into her hair. Din sure wasn’t kidding about the kid taking extreme measures to get out of a bath. No wonder he’d asked for her help.

“Put me down,” said Din sternly, completely serious despite his feet hovering half a foot above the floor, or at least giving that impression with the help of his helmet.

The child only giggled and did not comply. That was Cara’s signal.

She knew there’d only be one chance with the element of surprise. She rushed straight for the kid and before he could turn around was unclasping the onesie and and pulling it off. The child squawked in protest and tried to spin around; Din dropped to the floor, landing on his feet as the child lost his concentration. Cara managed to wiggle the kid out of his onesie, but then suddenly her boots lost contact with the ground and when she looked down, the kid was squinting at her in a downright smug manner, hand raised as he lifted her off the floor.

“I’d rather this than you choking me,” Cara said dryly.

It was Din’s turn to ambush the kid, who screeched again when Din snatched him up and ran across the hold. Cara dropped, managing to land on her feet, and looked up in time to see Din plop the kid into the sink, already brimming with warm water and soap bubbles.

“Gotcha, you little womp rat,” said Din.

The kid stuck his hand out again, but before he started rising in the air, Din put the hand down.  _ “No,” _ he said sternly.

Seeing this was not going to work, the kid’s eyes went big and dewy and he started to whimper. Cara swiped up the abandoned frog toy and brought it over. “Here you go, kid.”

His incoming tantrum forgotten, the kid set to splashing in the water with the frog and Din started scrubbing him. “Thanks, Cara,” he said.

“Just don’t ask me to start doing diapers,” she said.

Water splashed on her arm, and she looked down to see the kid staring at her expectantly. “All right, you asked for it,” she said, and with a grin scooped up some of the bubbles and deposited them on his head, making him giggle. She had to admit, of all the jobs she’d done so far with Din, this one was probably the most fun.

**Author's Note:**

> Figured it'd be best to start the year with a little silliness. Happy New Year!


End file.
